George Washington: A Multi-Faceted Man

“[George] Washington possessed the superb self-confidence that comes only to those men whose inner life is faint” (William E. Woodward). When people look of George Washington, they see a tall, commanding figure that led an army to victory in the Revolutionary War. But is that all that was going on? Was George Washington more than the eye can see. Take a look and see what there is to find. George Washington was a multi-faceted man whose presidency is quite interesting, but his life before the presidency was just as fascinating.
George Washington’s childhood was full of ups and downs. He was born on February 22, 1732. His parents were Augustine and Mary Ball Washington (Biography.com Editors). Many tragedies struck his family. His father died when George was 11. Soon after his brother died of tuberculosis when George was 20, making him head of Mt. Vernon. He married Martha Dandridge Custis, a widow with 5 children, in 1759 (Biography.com Editors).
He also had a strong military career that was strongly influential on the people’s decision. He became part of the 1st Continental Congress in 1774. In 1775, he was voted to lead the Continental Army. Before this, he had never led a large army (“George Washington and …show more content…
He was unanimously elected in 1789 and again in 1793. It is easy to see why he was elected. He was a great general and an overall great man. He was even religious. His cabinet were very qualified and capable men. He chose John Adams as his vice-president. For his Attorney Generals he chose Edmund Randolph, William Bradford, and Charles Lee . His Secretaries of War were Henry Knox, Timothy Pickering, and James McHenry (“George Washington”). His Secretaries of the Treasury were Alexander Hamilton and Oliver Wolcott Jr. As for his Secretaries of State, he chose mainly John Jay, but also Thomas Jefferson, Edmund Randolph, and Thomas Pickering (“George